1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a system and method of sharing contents using a messenger program, and more particularly, to a system and method of sharing contents using a messenger program that registers CE devices of the same user or CE devices of different users in a device server so as to register messenger accounts to be generated by the device server and sets a buddy relationship among the CE devices of the same user and a buddy relationship among the CE devices of different users so as to share contents among the CE devices having the buddy relationship.
2. Description of the Related Art
A messenger program is software that allows messages and data to be exchanged among a plurality of users through the Internet in real time. The messenger program is generally referred to as an instant messenger program because it can instantly transmit messages and data. The user can check if other users have accessed the Internet through the messenger program and respond to the other users instantly.
Further, the messenger program has a faster response speed than general e-mail and permits the user to exchange messages while performing other jobs. The messenger program supports multi-user chatting, voice chatting, and the like, and thus, a large volume of motion picture files, text messages, and the like can be transmitted to a cellular phone through the messenger program. Further, news, stocks, music information, and the like are provided by the messenger program.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a data transmission system that uses a messenger service according to the related art.
The data transmission system that uses the messenger service according to the related art includes a mobile terminal 100, a host computer 130, an image forming device 150, and a messenger server 160.
The mobile terminal 100, the messenger server 160, and the host computer 130 perform a messenger service through a mobile communication network (not shown) and an Internet network (not shown).
The mobile terminal 100, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a personal communication service (PCS), and the like, is a device that secures portability. The mobile terminal 100 can perform communication with external devices in a wired/wireless manner, stores a plurality of data files, and has a function of capturing a still picture or a motion picture using an internal camera. Further, the mobile terminal 100 has a Short Message Service (SMS) function and a function of transmitting the stored files to an external device, such as the host computer 130. The stored data files may be, for example, still picture files, motion picture files, general document files, Portable Document Format (PDF) files, and the like.
The mobile terminal 100 has a function of transmitting a predetermined data file to the host computer 130 using a messenger service. In particular, when an instant messenger Identifier (ID) is input or selected to transmit a data file through a user interface, the mobile terminal 100 requests that the messenger server 160 authenticate the input ID.
Here, a messenger service, which is implemented by an instant messenger program 135, provides bidirectional communication in which messages are exchanged in a real time manner when a user and another user are connected to Internet.
The user downloads the instant messenger program 135 from the messenger server 160 that is a service provider and installs the downloaded instant messenger program 135 in the host computer 130. Then, in order to use the instant messenger program 135, the user joins the messenger server 160. That is, the user registers an ID, a password, and the like with the messenger server 160 for joining.
When the user tries to access the messenger server 160 using the instant messenger program 135 of the host computer 130, the user logs on the messenger server 160 by inputting the ID and the password registered upon joining. At this time, the instant messenger program 135 checks a fixed Internet Protocol (IP) or a floating IP of the host computer 130 in which the user tries to log on the messenger program and informs the messenger server 160 of the checked fixed IP or floating IP. Then, the messenger server 160 stores, in a database, an IP that matches with the logon ID.
To this end, the mobile terminal 100 includes a user input unit 105, a display unit 110, a control unit 125, a communication unit 120, and a storage unit 115.
The user input unit 105 is a user interface through which the user inputs an ID of the instant messenger program so as to transmit data files.
The display unit 110, which is implemented by an LCD, displays the instant messenger ID input through the user input unit 105. The storage unit 115 stores a plurality of data files.
The communication unit 120 transmits the ID input through the user input unit 105 to the messenger server 160. Further, the communication unit 120 receives an IP matching with the ID transmitted from the messenger server 160.
The control unit 125 transmits the ID input to the messenger server 160 through the user input unit 105 and controls the communication unit 120 so as to request the authentication of the ID and the search of the corresponding IP. Further, the control unit 125 controls the communication unit 120 to transmit the data files stored in the storage unit 115 to the host computer 130 corresponding to the IP searched and transmitted by the messenger server 160.
Meanwhile, the messenger server 160 stores the IDs and passwords of the plurality of users who use the instant messenger program 135. Further, the messenger server 160 also stores an IP of a computer that is used by the user whenever logon.
When the mobile terminal 100 requests the authentication of an ID, the messenger server 160 checks whether or not the requested ID is available. If the ID is available, the messenger server 160 searches an IP matching with the requested ID and transmits the searched IP to the mobile terminal 100.
The messenger server 160 checks whether or not the ID to be authenticated is joined in the messenger server 160. If the ID is joined in the messenger server 160, the messenger server 160 checks whether or not the ID to be authenticated is currently logged on. If it is checked that the ID is currently logged on, the messenger server 160 judges that the ID to be authenticated is an available ID and searches an IP of the host computer 130 that matches with the ID to be authenticated.
Then, the messenger server 160 encodes the searched IP for the authentication and transmits the encoded IP to the mobile terminal 100. At this time, the IP is encoded according to a prescribed protocol between the mobile terminal 100 and the messenger server 160. Further, the messenger server 160 may transmit the searched IP without encoding.
The mobile terminal 100 decodes the encoded IP transmitted from the messenger server 160, performs the authentication, and transmits a desired data file to the host computer 130 corresponding to the transmitted IP. The data file to be transmitted can be selected before the mobile terminal 100 requests the messenger server 160 for the authentication of the ID or after the mobile terminal 100 receives the IP. Further, the data file to be transmitted includes various files, such as text files, image files, and the like.
The user logs on the messenger server 160 using the fixed IP or the floating IP through the host computer 130 that receives the data file transmitted from the mobile terminal 100 and performs a predetermined job.
To this end, the instant messenger program 135 and a data processing module 140 are installed in the host computer 130.
The instant messenger program 135 is a program that provides the above-described instant messenger service. The user joins and logs on the messenger server 160 using the instant messenger program 135.
Further, the data processing module 140 judges a characteristic of the data file transmitted from the mobile terminal 100 and performs a predetermined job on the basis of the judgment result. Specifically, if the transmitted data file has an extension “txt” and does not exceed a predetermined capacity, the data processing module 140 judges that the transmitted data file is a short message using an SMS (Short Message Service). Then, the data processing module 140 processes the message to be displayed on a screen of the host computer 130.
Further, if the transmitted data file has an extension other than “txt”, the data processing module 140 prints the transmitted data file or outputs the transmitted data file to an image forming device 150 to transmit to a facsimile or a receiver.
At this time, the data processing module 140 checks priorities given to a printing job and a facsimile job, such that the image forming device 150 performs a job having a higher priority. For example, if the printing job has a higher priority, the data processing module 140 outputs a command to print the transmitted data file to the image forming device 150 together with the transmitted data file. Then, the image forming device 150 performs the printing job relative to the data file. Here, the priorities given to the printing job and the facsimile job may be changed by the user.
The image forming device 150 is an office automation apparatus, such as a complex machine, a printer, or a facsimile, and forms an image of the data file output from the host computer 130. The host computer 130 is communicatably connected to the image forming device 150 using a communication interface, such as a USB interface or the like.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing data transmission according to the related art.
The mobile terminal 100 requests the messenger server 160 for the authentication of the instant messenger ID input through the user interface (Step S200).
When the mobile terminal 100 requests the authentication of the predetermined ID, the messenger server 160 checks whether or not the requested ID is registered in the messenger server 160 (Step S205). As the check result, if the ID is registered, the messenger server 160 checks whether or not the ID to be authenticated is currently logged on (Step S210).
At Step S210 of checking whether or not the messenger ID is logged on, if it is checked that the ID to be authenticated is currently logged on, the messenger server 160 searches and encodes the IP of the host computer 130 that matches with the ID to be authenticated and stored, and transmits the encoded IP to the mobile terminal 100 (Step S215).
If Step S215 of transmitting the IP to the mobile terminal 100 is completed, the mobile terminal 100 decodes the encoded IP transmitted from the messenger server 160 to perform the authentication, and transmits a desired data file to the host computer 130 corresponding to the transmitted IP (Step S220).
Next, the data processing module 140 of the host computer 130 judges the characteristic of the data file transmitted from the mobile terminal 100 (Step S225).
As the judgment result of the characteristic, if the transmitted data file is judged as a short message, the data processing module 140 displays the short message on the screen of the host computer 130 (Step S235).
Meanwhile, with regard to the judgment result of the characteristic at Step S230, if it is judged that the transmitted data file is not the short message, the data processing module 140 outputs the transmitted data file to the image forming device 150 (Step S240). That is, the data processing module 140 judges that the transmitted data file is to be printed or transmitted to a receiving-side facsimile, and outputs the data file to the image forming device 150 together with a printing or facsimile job command.
When the data file is output to the image forming device 150, the image forming device 150 performs a job corresponding to the command output from the data processing module 140 relative to the data file transmitted from the host computer 130 (Step S245). For example, if the printing command is output at Step S240, the image forming device 150 allows the data file to be printed at Step S245.
Meanwhile, if it is checked that the ID to be authenticated is not registered in the messenger server 160 at Step S205, the messenger server 160 generates an error message to notify that the ID is not registered and transmits the error message to the mobile terminal 100 (Step S250).
Further, if it is checked that the ID to be authenticated is logged off at Step S210, the messenger server 160 generates an error message to notify that the ID is logged off and transmits the error message to the mobile terminal 100 (Step S250).
Meanwhile, in the above-described related art, even though the data file transmitted from the mobile terminal 100 is not the short message, the data processing module 140 can display the received data file on the screen of the host computer 130.
In the messenger service according to the related art described above, when an input device is applied to the mobile terminal 100 that is a consumer electronic (CE) device that is relatively limited compared with the host computer 130, there is difficulty associated with setting the messenger account. Further, there is a difficulty in searching users for a buddy request and setting the relationship, thereby causing a difficulty in setting the buddy relationship.